Ch.2: Taking His Time

Sometime around eleven in the morning, Danny woke up refreshed and content. The plush couch he was laying on still felt like heaven and the pillow was fluffy as ever, his head-print in the center. Sighing in content, he turned on the TV and switched it to the news. Flashes of the takedown he, Superman, and Batman had partaken in was the immediate response the television gave, making the teen cackle to himself. "And she still doesn't know I'm nineteen… Hehehehe~!"

After watching a little bit more of the news, Danny turned it to one of the music channels and got up. Stretching, the ebony-haired teen groaned in pleasure as his back cracked and creaked. Turning the volume up to a volume anyone on the floor would be annoyed with, Danny debated with himself if he should eat or take a shower first.

After many minutes of debating with himself, Danny got a fantastic idea that he'd do both at the same time.

A few minutes after that, he discovered that that would not work under any circumstances and was thoroughly grateful the Dark Knight was back in Gotham, doing his thing.

Then he realized something.

Looking around the room with a soggy orange in his hand and soaking wet himself, Danny glared at the corners of the room, shifting his eyes every which way. "I bet there's cameras…"

As he moved on, choosing to take a shower before he ate, he let such paranoid thoughts go. Batman was Batman. He was the same with paranoia the way with Danny was with being a rule-breaker. Nothing was going to change either of those things.

Danny spent thirty minutes in his blistering hot shower, hoping to use up the entire hot water supply the hotel had. Even though he knew it was an empty dream, he tried anyways and after the half-hour, he finally gave up entirely. He spent the next five minutes drying himself off and putting his clothes on (new world record!).

Once he was done getting ready, he walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. As he looked in, he realized it was empty and cursed himself for not buying a little more food.

Turning off the TV, Danny grabbed his keycard, keys, and backpack before exiting the room. He closed the door behind him with a loud bang, hoping to annoy the other residents. No one shouted though and that left Danny feeling down.

The nineteen-year-old took the elevator to the main floor and checked himself out of the hotel. After returning the keycard (because he had a double in his backpack, of course), Danny exited the hotel, jaywalking to where his motorcycle was waiting for him.

Danny swung his leg over the bike and sat down. He picked the helmet off the seat and shoved it over his head. Putting the key in the ignition, he revved the engine and backed out of the spot carefully. Once he had the bike pointed in the direction of the exit, he jetted off quickly and screeched into traffic, ignoring the other drivers while making sure he wouldn't get hit at the same time.

While waiting at a traffic light (even he wasn't stupid enough to cross traffic like that), Danny turned on the Bluetooth headphones in his helmet and began playing music in his ears. He slipped his phone back into his backpack just as the light turned green and zoomed across the intersection with no regard for the other drivers he was leaving behind.

After driving around Metropolis for a bit, he turned onto the highway and began cruising down one of the lanes, going thirty above the speed limit. He weaved around people with ease, bobbing his head as he did. If people were swearing at him or honking their horns, Danny couldn't hear them over his music.

I'm borderline happy and I'm borderline sad

I'm borderline good and I'm borderline bad

And I can't get rid of this tingling fear

You'd sort me out if my head gets clear

Danny briefly looked behind him when he barely heard the tell-tale sirens of a police cruiser. He sighed when he saw it before speeding up even more. His speed was ridiculous as it was and the cop had barely gotten his speed up while Danny was accelerating faster than the police cruiser was.

I live my life in shackles but I'm borderline free

I used to be blind and I still can't see

And I won't get around to a change of mind

As long as nobody breaks my stride

As he sped past others and tried to outrun the cop, he thought that the song he was listening to should be his theme song. He laughed a little and looked behind him.

The cop was still speeding after him. Oh, and he had called in backup! Danny felt so touched.

The three cop cruises pursued Danny, who continued to drive his bike like a bat out of hell. The only reason he was getting away though, was because he had a head start and he had more maneuverability than the police cruisers. Weaving in and out of cars was a breeze to the nineteen-year-old. To the bigger cars, this was not the case.

Looking up, Danny saw a sign that had an arrow for an upcoming exit. The words 'Gotham City' blared across the green sign in white paint, along with the exit number beside it. The blue-eyed male smiled that he caught the sign while he was chasing the cops and accelerated even more for the fun of it. He could see ahead that two cruisers were blocking his way, a spike strip in the middle of them.

Danny just smirked and kept his speed. At the last minute, with the cruisers right behind him, he turned off down the exit into Gotham, getting the cops off his trail. One even didn't have time to stop and drive over the spike strip on accident.

Laughter echoed within the confines of his helmet as he continued on, journeying into the dark and gloomy city. The other drivers were going below the speed limit, like they were hesitating about going into the city that held a dozen lifetimes worth of violence, misery, and grief.

It was different to see someone speeding way past the legal speed into the city, cruising in as if it was a shining utopia or fantastic fantasia.

Danny took pride in the fact he was the only one brave enough to do so.

Weaving through the streets of Gotham was a breeze. Danny knew every street that led to his destination by heart. He'd made himself learn them with the patience of a father with unruly children. During the process, he had gotten lost a dozen times but, in the end, it had all paid off. He could be anywhere in Gotham (mostly) and he could still find his way there.

The feeling he got as he drove through the streets was also refreshing. The buildings towered above him, looming over the nineteen-year-old's head in a terrifying way. What little sunlight could be made through the clouds made the paned windows shine and sparkle. People walked up and down the sidewalks, wearing dark colors that set the dull mood. Cars drove up and down the streets that looked exactly like New York's, just not nearly as crowded.

Danny had been in many big cities and none made him feel like Gotham did. Metropolis was vibrant and colorful, warm and inviting. In Las Vegas, it always seemed to be daylight and the mood was always rolling. In other places, such as New York and Boston, the city dared you to do something great and stick out.

In Gotham, however, the city looked at you with its glaring eyes and told you to get out if you couldn't handle the pressure, if you couldn't be tough. It dared you to do something spectacular, to stand up to her like she was standing up to you. She saw everything you held inside but felt no pity, no matter the situation you found yourself in.

All in all, Gotham pushed you like no other city did and dared you to do things no other city would even dream of suggesting.

While others might feel pressured by Gotham's stone-cold eyes, Danny felt alive and invincible.

As Danny pulled up to the sidewalk by a townhouse, he took his helmet off his head and ruffled his hair to get it messy again. He set the helmet on the seat in front of him, digging through his backpack quickly and finding his phone. He turned the music off, quickly following up with turning the headphones off as well. Once done with all that, Danny put his phone in his pocket and got off the bike, setting the helmet on the seat and slinging his backpack over his shoulder again.

The nineteen-year-old skipped up the steps and knocked on the door, a smirk gracing his face as he did.

There was a pause while Danny waited. Then the sounds of feet against a hardwood floor met the ebony-haired male's ears. His smirk widened a little bit in excitement. The locks were undone on the other side of the door and the plank of wood was opened.

Robert Northcutt opened the door with a small greeting before he stopped short, staring at the nineteen-year-old with wide eyes.

Danny's smirk widened even more. "Sup Rob."

"Danny." Robert said, eyes still wide and brain completely fried to a crisp. "W-What are you doing in Gotham? Don't you have school? I see you dyed your hair again…"

"I was in Metropolis and thought I'd drop in for a visit. And just because I'm supposed to go to school doesn't mean I actually go." Danny replied with a 'duh' look as he looked up at his red bangs. He made a waving gesture at Robert's deadpan expression, asking "Is my sissy home? I'd love to see her."

"Yes… She is, actually. She's working the nightshift this week. How did you..?" Robert trailed, a confused look on his face as he squinted his eyes at the red-banged male.

Danny's smirk came back, full blast. "I have ways of finding things out."

"Yes… That's the part that terrifies me." Robert stated, biting his lip and running a hand through his hair. He stepped aside, allowing entryway for the younger male to step inside. "Well, why don't you come in? Jazz is in her study. I can get her real quick, if you want."

Danny waltzed inside and down the hall, saying "Nope. I'll get her myself."

Robert tried to call after him but his voice failed. He pressed a hand to his face while the other rested on his hip, sighing long. The man was grateful, praising the Lord even, that his kids were at school and not present when their 'Uncle Danny' was around. Even better, it wasn't one of the weeks his in-laws visited them.

While Robert was counting his blessings, Danny was walking through the house with practiced ease. He'd been through it many times before on his spontaneous visits.

Danny dropped his bag by the steps that led to the second level and quietly opened the door to the study next to it. With careful precision, he made no sound as he opened the door. He peeked his head in; looking over to the desk he knew was on the other side of the room.

Jazz was sitting at her desk, like he had predicted, and she leaned over a bundle of papers with tired eyes. Glasses on her face and hair tied into a messy ponytail, she looked like she was about to drop dead. There were crescent circles under her eyes, purple and black. Her comfy clothes were on; they were nothing more than a t-shirt, sweatpants, and a pair of bunny slippers her kids had gotten her.

"You look like you've been working harder than me." Danny said, stuffing his hands in his jeans pockets while he smiled reassuringly.

Jazz turned around in her seat abruptly, looking over her shoulder to stare at the ebony-haired teen in her study. The frown on her face immediately turned into a smile and she got up, saying her brother's name under her breath as she did. Once standing next to each other, the siblings hugged briefly before breaking apart.

"Hey Shorty, how's life?" Jazz asked, ruffling her shorter brother's hair and ruffling it even more.

Danny swatted the hand away with a smirk, saying "Nothing much. Just got over here from Metropolis and outran the police again. How about you, Shrink?"

"It's about as good as it can be." Jazz answered, shrugging nonchalantly. She walked back to her desk, grabbed her coffee mug that was inscribed 'Mommy's Cup', walked back to the study door, stopped in the frame, and said over her shoulder "Come on, Hot-Shot. Let's talk in the kitchen."

Danny followed after his sister obediently, walking by her side as they made their way into the kitchen. Once in the room, Jazz gestured for her brother to sit at the kitchen table while she got herself another cup of coffee. She got Danny some as well, knowing he probably didn't need the extra boost but not having the will power to get him something else.

The two both drank their caffeinated drink straight black with no added sugar or cream.

"So what were you doing in Metropolis?" Jazz asked, taking a sip of her steaming drink.

Danny shrugged, not showing any excitement on his face. "Eh, just clubbing. Nothing special."

Jazz looked like she was about to question why he was clubbing but just waved it off, propping her elbow on the counter and putting her head in her hand while she did. The psychiatrist rubbed her temple, trying to thwart the oncoming migraine she was receiving.

Danny grinned at her reaction. "Well, what have you been doing?"

"Hm, nothing much. Right now I'm filling in for another doctor at Arkham so my schedule is all out of whack." Jazz answered, shrugging like her brother had done moments before.

"How are the crazies you deal with these days?" Danny asked, leaning back casually as if he was asking about a friend he knew instead a bunch of psychotic creeps staying in an asylum.

Jazz smiled and took another sip from her coffee mug. "They're good, I guess. They've been acting considerably less crazy in the past couple of weeks but that usually means they're planning a riot to break out again. For that, we've bumped up security but, other than that, there's not much we can do."

"Well…"

"I am not suggesting to the board that we lock the inmates in chains, you understand?"

"Yes Ma'am…"

"That's a good little Hot-Shot! Yes that is!"

"Oh, you really know how to tick a person off, don't ya?"

"I learned from the best!"

The two siblings chatted idly on, sipping at their drinks as they did. Robert occasionally joined the conversation but spent most of his day working around the house, preferring to let the two siblings chat amongst themselves. Danny still made him nervous, no matter how comfortable his wife was with him around.

The two's conversation was abruptly interrupted by Jazz's two kids, Levi and Kellie, excitedly running through the door after a hard day of school. In each of their hands, they held their arts and crafts they had done that day. As soon as the two were through the doorframe, their mouths were running as fast as Danny's when he was on a roll with inspiring, sarcastic quotes.

Once the two set sights on their not-that-much-older uncle, they squealed in delight and raced to hug him, oblivious to the fact he wasn't completely thrilled with the gesture. However, he let them show affection to him before answering their questions on how long he was staying this time. Though crestfallen because he planned on leaving that night, they occupied themselves with telling their parents every single, little, tiny detail that had happened that day.

Danny wondered why adults couldn't be that descriptive.

As they chattered on, Robert made dinner while his spontaneous guest, wife, and children hung out in the kitchen. They all chatted (Danny being particularly annoying but toning it down some because of the children) and sipped on their beverages.

Robert made simple spaghetti, pasta sauce, and French bread. While sitting around the table, Danny taught the kids the wondrous word 'spaghettini'. Levi and Kellie were delighted to hear the new and silly word, repeating it nonstop while Danny smirked, Jazz face-palmed, and Robert tried to remain smiling, though his kids were slowly annoying him to death.

The two parents loved their children and, to an extent, Danny. Really, they did. But sometimes they wished they could lock their kids in a closet and throw Danny off a cliff, never to be seen again.

After the eventful dinner, Danny announced he had to leave because his 'supervisor' was probably going to kill him if he found out that Danny had blatantly disregarded orders and made a detour to Gotham City instead of heading straight back to Las Vegas, though they had no idea who his supervisor was, as Danny refused to tell.

After a heartfelt goodbye from the two children, Danny hugged his sister briefly and, much to his dismay, got a kiss on his forehead from his sister. Then he gave a huge, sarcastic hug to Robert, saying "I'll miss you so much, Robby! Don't ever forget me!"

Jazz's poor husband patted the ebony-haired male's back awkwardly while the rest of his family giggled quietly to themselves.

Once he was done making people feel conflicted, Danny hopped on his bike with a laugh, threw on his helmet, and quickly started up his bike with a big roar. While the small family jerked back, covering their ears, Danny was zooming from his spot and taking off down the road, doing a pop-a-wheely as he did.

Jazz watched after with a frown, not liking how her brother was trying to kill himself.

Danny's ride down the highway was pretty much uneventful. There was a couple times he had to outrun the cops like he had that morning but he usually managed to outrun them. If he didn't, he waited for the cops to get out of his sights before he sped up again and threw his ticket into the wind, never to be seen again.

With stops to eat and sleep, Danny made it back to Las Vegas from Gotham in three and a half days. It was most likely because he did thirty or forty above the legal speed limit most of the time (though he did maintain the normal speed limit when the cops were still in sight).

Driving into his home city, Danny felt exhilarated. Though Las Vegas didn't give the same vibe Gotham did, it made a person feel completely alive and, for Danny, at home. The flashing lights and nonstop going gave the illusion it was always day and never night, that people didn't sleep and they partied all the time. Granted, the entire city wasn't like that but the towering buildings made it seem that it was that way.

In his typical Danny-fashion, the nineteen-year-old disregarded all traffic laws while pulling into his apartment complex's parking lot. He found a spot and parked in it, ticking off another driver that was planning on taking the spot. Danny waved cheerily and smiled sweetly at them, getting the middle finger from them and a couple of creative swears.

After hopping off his bike, Danny strolled into the apartment complex, like it was completely natural for him to be walking through anything at three o'clock in the morning. No one gave him a second look though, since lots of people did it anyways.

The nineteen-year-old waltzed to the elevator, stifling a yawn as he did, and went up the three levels before exiting. Danny walked down the hall, taking out his keys and unlocking the door. He opened the door, slipping in and eagerly locking the door behind him again. As he turned around, ready to dive under his desk and onto his glorious mattress, he stopped short and let out a long groan.

"What do you two want?!"

"Love you too, Danny." Sam said, spinning around in his rolly-chair while Tucker sat on one of the tables, playing Doomed as he did. He was very involved in his game, barely giving a wave to his friend, while Sam was smirking at the ebony-haired male while she spun around and around.

Tucker glanced over his shoulder and commented "Oh look, you dyed your hair again."

Danny glared at the back of his cocoa-skinned friend's head. "Guys… Get out of my house."

"Nah~!" Sam sang, still spinning. "I think we're just going to spend the night, right Tuck?"

"Yup."

"Oh please kill me…" Danny moaned in despair, staring at the ceiling as he tilted his back. "Please Lord; strike me down with lightning or something."

Sam and Tucker laughed darkly, continuing on with their annoying habits of dropping in whenever they felt like.

Danny let his backpack fall from his shoulders onto the ground. He threw off his shirt and kicked off his shoes and socks; his two friends watched as he did so. The ebony-haired teen walked past Sam and crawled under the table, ignoring how Tucker turned the volume of his game up.

"You guys should go home or sleep or something! We have school tomorrow!" Danny complained, throwing his blanket over his head to attempt to block out the blinding light from his computers.

Tucker scoffed. "Oh please. We're skipping and we all know you were planning to do the same."

"…shut up…"

"Uh-huh." Sam muttered, kicking her friend and earning a loud yelp in return to her violence.

"Leave me alone, guys! Go to sleep! Please!"

The two wide awake friends looked at each other slyly, dark smirks appearing on their faces.

"Alrighty then…" Tucker mumbled.

"…really?"

"Yup." Sam answered. Before Danny had time to ask what they were going to do, Tucker had flipped the lights off and the two ducked under the table, snuggling up to Danny and earning loud yells in resistance.

"You guys suck!"

"Go to sleep, Danny."

"Yeah, go to sleep Danny."

The ebony-haired teen made a face and grumbled irritably. He tried to make himself comfortable but his two friends (or traitors, in these few moments) were so close and he couldn't move.

"…you guys really do suck though."

"Oh, we know. But you love us."

"You're pushing it."

Sam and Tucker laughed quietly while Danny shifted and bedded down. The three grew still, easily falling into the blessed darkness called sleep while the computers above them grew dark and quiet.

All was quiet, for once, in the small, dinky apartment the nineteen-year-old male called home.

The song was Vanic X Tove Styrke - Borderline by Vanic. If you don't understand why I have decided to declare that the theme song, think a little deeper. *crazy grin* Or, at least, it should make sense by the end of the fic. *thumbs up*

And I did mean to have this out yesterday. ...but I got two new comics so...that kinda took up my time...

Thanks to these people for favoriting and/or following: PHOENIX1020, Missychikki, Anime Hotty Lover. 18, Saramaster, Fear the Fuzzy Bear, KainVixenheim, Roselin, AltoValGal, Kimera20, Kimori Takahashi, Purple-Vixen-Flames, Reading for Escape, Azorawing, Richard1081, Poohbearmorris, Dani of the Electroclan, Clueless Blu, Astroshadow, Alewar, Sarah. McQueen. 921, Bibliophilea, The Deranged Pan, SweetyKinz, Ladnik, MaterMind, Duel06., ZeroExia, JennaUtena, TheMysteriousOtaku, Barren the Inventor, I-am-a-book-loving-ninja, Oracle Shadow, Lord Jace.

Thanks to these people for favoriting and/or following me: Fear the Fuzzy Bear, Otakubabes, MaterMind, Flames on Water, Purple-Vixen-Flames, Evaden, TheMysteriousOtaku, Jessica Jayme Bell.

Reviews:

Anime Hotty Lover. 18: XD I knew someone would appreciate the message... Updated!

Fear the Fuzzy Bear: Because of the one-shot "Fancy Meeting You", not in this one. But I plan on turning "Fancy Meeting You" into a one-shot series. XD Glad to hear I am loved!

KainVixenheim: Yup, I made a sequel. No, you will not pass if you do that cause I ain't God. XD

Guest of Honor: I've been updating! XD I got, like, three other stories out before this! One was a branch-off of this... Moving on. XD Ooohhh, this story is not going to be that smooth sailing! But when is it ever?! XDDDD

Azorawing: The annoying quirks make him who he is... XD Glad to hear!

Ninuhuju: Actually, he is (I'm going more into depth about his activities next chapter). The only thing we saw that was illegal was his reckless driving. You'll see what I mean by that next chapter. *thumbs up* :)

IWasNeverReal: Danny is always an adorable wonder. XD

Expergiscimini: XD Ok then! Glad to know this was wanted.

Poohbearmorris: I posted it at two though... XD Messed up Danny and ticked off Bats is always amusing.

Clueless Blu: Aw, I'm so glad I can make you laugh and cry all at the same time! I love pulling emotions out of people. XD

Random Person: *salutes* That I am.

SweetyKinz: And now I'm the Tooth Fairy... This says a lot about our fantastic relationship. XD Hehehe~! I'm-a so happy your excited! And laughing on the inside, at least! XD And I'm glad you appreciated the accidently punching himself in the face part and the "repeat offender" comment. No one seemed to. XD YES! Danny's look pleases you! *throws hands in the air* I also love how you love my numberage. XD

Lord Jace: :D Sweet! I love hearing people enjoy this Danny everyone always seems to wanna smack. XD

Akra: Yuppers, I am back (I never left)! ...that is perfectly accurate description on Danny. XD It is a wonder how Batsy doesn't throw him off a cliff. *thumbs up* ...*laughs hysterically* Oh my gosh, that would be the most hilarious but the most boring I would ever write because I've BEEN an alter-servant! XD You mostly stand there and act solemn.